Azura | ★★ | ֏֏֏ ($$$) | Greek + | 21/7 Gevorg Kochar Street | (044) 000096
A few months ago, Azura opened its doors on Kochar Street in Yerevan. Nestled between Mao and Asador, it has a beautiful and large outdoor seating area in the summer season. With Kochar being a one-way street and seeing little traffic at night, the lower section almost feels like a pedestrian zone, thanks to its wide sidewalks.
Azura bills itself as Neo Mediterranean, but in reality, it leans heavily toward Greek cuisine. The interior, cream and white with blue accents, evokes the feel of a traditional Greek taverna. The space is well-designed, light and airy, with an inviting open kitchen.
The appetizers alone could make for a satisfying meal. Served with hot pita, the hummus, tzatziki, and other mezze-style dishes are a delight to scoop up. The zucchini chips with tahini are a standout and seriously addictive.
Next up are the salads. The classic Greek salad arrives with a chunk of feta resting on top, a nice touch, especially with the peeled tomatoes.
Then there’s the Caesar salad. Nothing about it can be considered Neo Mediterranean or Greek. Prepared tableside, it’s a throwback to the kind of tableside service seen in upscale U.S. restaurants about 30 years ago. A cart arrives with all the ingredients, at least ten, in addition to the crisp Romaine leaves. The dressing is mixed fresh before being tossed with the lettuce, ensuring both flavor and presentation are spot on. No sliced chicken breast here, just a classic Caesar done right. Bravo.
For mains, you have a few pasta choices. The gnocchi with the veal cheeks and the orzo with lamb shank are very well executed and tasty with rich flavors of the slow cooked meat.
Interestingly the moussaka, given that it is a Greek restaurant, was less than great. It should have been creamier with the Bechamel sauce but in reality had quite a bit of cheese.
The saganaki with shrimp was not an impressive dish. A handful of small shrimp were lost in an overly generous pool of tomato sauce, with bits of feta scattered throughout. Truly, it should have been called shrimp saganaki, where the shrimp take center stage, the sauce is balanced rather than overwhelming, and the feta binds everything together with a creamy texture.
The seabass with lemon sauce, clams and red caviar was equally dull. The filets of seabass were sitting in a lemon sauce. The clams were a decoration and the whole dish did not come together. The filets were overcooked and the lemon sauce was thickened with flour rather than butter. There was another item on the menu, chicken with roux sauce. Roux is a flour based thickening agent and not a sauce in itself. At this level of dining, that is a rookie mistake.
From the grill, the veal souvlaki was quite basic. Slices of veal, tender of course, without much seasoning.
From the oven, the variety of breads are all very, very good. Worth trying them all. The pide with chorizo and feta was quite good also.
The desserts, on the other hand, are quite special. The pistachio tiramisu was maybe the weakest compared to the other desserts. The bomboloni was top notch. Try the extra large pistachio baklava which is sliced horizontally and topped with ice cream and assembled back. Nice touch. On a particular night, the churros were not available nor were the assorted small Lebanese sweets.
The wine list is quite comprehensive. Many local selections and quite a few imports. There were no eye popping priced wines here. Most hovered around 8,000-12,000 AMD. The white wines were served less than cold and reds 2-3 degrees warmer than ideal. The wines are displayed on a rack in the middle of the restaurant which normally is warm. It is a shame. A medium size wine cooler would correct both issues.
The service is spotty. At lunchtime, when it is quiet, they will roll the Caesar salad cart with energy and excitement. During dinner, when we ordered the same salad, we were told that they did not have anchovies. That might be the case, but anchovies are canned and are not perishable. For a restaurant that has a signature dish, running out of one of the ingredients is quite improbable. It is more likely that the waitress did not feel like putting on a show on a busy night.
On the weekend, there was live entertainment. Three dancers put on a show, popping up after 9 p.m. to dance and entertain. We left before the dish crashing had started, where the stacked up plates were waiting for their fate.
Overall, my impression was mixed. Some great dishes alongside quite a few underwhelming ones. This could be a great place for a quiet lunch but quite lively at nights, if you are into loud music and action.
Azura Restaurant
21/7 Gevorg Kochar Street | (044) 000096
Open Daily: 12 p.m. – 12 a.m.
Reservations: Accepted
Cuisine: Neo Mediterranean
Atmosphere: A well designed, medium-sized restaurant. You’ll feel welcome.
Dish to Come Back For: The zucchini chips and Caesar salad.
Recommended Dishes: All the appetizers. Pretty much all the desserts.
Drinks and Wine: A very good choice of wines, both local and imports.
What the Stars Mean: Ratings range from zero to five stars. Zero is poor. One star, fair. Two stars, good. Three stars, very good, Four stars, excellent. Five stars, exceptional and world class.
The Fine Print: The tastings are done anonymously. The restaurant is visited at least three times but normally more. No restaurant is reviewed before three months from the start of the operation. The purpose of the review is to give the reader an overall impression of the restaurant rather than a critique of particular dishes.
Pricing:
֏($) Budget-Friendly
֏֏($$) Moderate
֏֏֏($$$) Upscale
֏֏֏֏($$$$) Luxury
